News
January 23, 2019
UT Opportunity Forum and The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis present:
There are 2.2 million people incarcerated in the nation’s jails and prisons, and another 6.6 million tethered to our adult criminal legal system through supervision. What’s more, every year, an estimated 250,000 youth under the age of 18 are prosecuted, sentenced, and incarcerated in the adult criminal justice system. Given the influence of various institutions on incarceration rates and resulting racial disparities, widespread discussion has emerged around what can be done to address inequities. Join us as we engage in a critically conscious dialogue on the criminal legal system with scholars and practitioners engaged in various reform efforts across the school-to-prison pipeline, the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system. Lunch will be provided.
Panelists:
- MiAngel Cody, Co-Founder and Decarceration Counsel for the Decarceration Collective
- Morgan Craven, National Policy Director for the Intercultural Development Research Association
- Eric Wilson, Advocate for Current and Formerly Incarcerated Persons
- Michele Deitch, Senior Lecturer at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and The University of Texas School of Law
Moderator:
- Nino Rodriguez, Research Associate, Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis
Lunch Series Co-Sponsors:
Student Organization Co-Sponsors:
Women’s Law Caucus | Action Committee for Career Services | American Constitution Society | Texas Law Women’s Christian Fellowship | Thurgood Marshall Legal Society
For more information and to RSVP, please click here
#ReconfigureJustice
September 27, 2018
UT Opportunity Forum Presents:
Uprooted: Lessons for Addressing Displacement in Austin’s Gentrifying Neighborhoods
A new report by UT researchers has identified a wave of gentrification sweeping through Austin neighborhoods, hitting low-income African-American and Hispanic renters the hardest. Come learn about three case studies the researchers developed to help inform what it will take for Austin to address these disturbing trends. The presenters will share information about anti-displacement policies utilized in Columbia Heights in Washington, D.C., Inner North/Northeast neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon, and Guadalupe neighborhood in Austin—along with key takeaways for Austin. Lunch will be included.
Panelists:
Heather K. Way, Clinical Professor
The University of Texas School of Law
Nicholas Armstrong, Graduate Student
Community and Regional Planning Program, The University of Texas at Austin
Benjamin Martin, Graduate Student
Community and Regional Planning Program, The University of Texas at Austin
Moderator:
Jake Wegmann, Assistant Professor
Community and Regional Planning Program, The University of Texas at Austin
Lunch Series Co-Sponsors:
The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis
RGK Center for Philanthropy & Community Service, LBJ School of Public Affairs
The Longhorn Center for Community Engagement
The Graduate Program in Community & Regional Planning
School of Nursing Center for Transdisciplinary Collaborative Research in Self-Management Science
The William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law
#UprootedATX
More information & RSVP here
February 20, 2018
Dr. Kim explored the manner in which the new healthcare landscape will impact immigrant communities throughout Texas. You can view her presentation here.
Equitable Access to Healthcare
January 31, 2018
Check out the presentation here: Equity Office Presentation UT
This past January the Opportunity Forum hosted Brion Oaks, the Chief Equity Officer for the City of Austin. Oaks profiled the city’s current landscape of disparity, and discussed how his office works with other city departments to ask critical and constructive questions about how to make a more equitable Austin.
November 5, 2017
Our October 20th event was a success. Join DDCE, IUPRA, and the Opportunity Forum for the second part of the conversation on free speech and college campuses. Register online for free here.
September 18, 2017
Please join the Opportunity Forum on October 6 for our first event of the fall, After the Storm: Building Resilient and Equitable Communities. 12:00 to 1:30 PM. The University of Texas at Austin Law School, Francis Auditorium (TNH 2.114), 727 E. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX 78705.
Now that the floodwaters have receded, the communities ravaged by Hurricane Harvey are beginning the long, hard road of rebuilding. Historically underserved populations—including low-income persons of color—face especially daunting challenges. What needs to be done to help the most vulnerable survivors rebuild their lives? How can we protect all residents from future flooding and exposure to other hazards? And what lessons have we learned from prior disasters to ensure that disaster recovery funds are spent more equitably and effectively? Join us for a conversation on these questions and more, as we discuss how to build resilient and equitable communities after Hurricane Harvey.
This event is free, and will include lunch. Register now to reserve your seat.
December 6, 2016
24% of children in Travis County lack consistent access to enough food for a healthy diet, according the 2016 State of Texas Children Report released last month. Hungry children struggle to focus in school, and are more likely to develop social and behavioral issues.
The report highlights the historical and current policies that maintain financial, educational, and health disparities for children across ethnic, racial, and gender lines. Closing the gap will require strong, equity-focused policies at the local level. Some policy recommendations include:
- Collect more data broken down by race and ethnicity
- The Workforce Solutions Capital Area Workforce Board should ensure that its first ever community-wide master plan for workforce development analyzes all data by race and ethnicity. The Board should include strategies in the plan to help close gaps by race and ethnicity in employment, wages and educational attainment.
- Preserve and increase access to affordable health insurance for underserved families and women of reproductive age.
- Expand access to school-based child nutrition programs
Read the full report here.
November 22, 2016
A video recording of the event Locked Out! Criminal History as a Barrier to Housing Access is now available for you to view online. Watch the video to hear from Sara Pratt, Bruce Reilly, Fred Fuchs, Greg Casar, David Mintz, and Helen Gaebler on the innovative work going on in New Orleans and elsewhere to reduce barriers and increase housing access for individuals with criminal histories. The video can be found here.
Sara Pratt, Counsel at Relman, Dane & Colfax in Washington D.C., opened the discussion with a presentation on policy recommendations for criminal background and tenant screenings. View the powerpoint here.
October 19, 2016
Friday, October 28 2016
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Francis Auditorium
The University of Texas School of Law
Lunch provided
The event is free but an RSVP is required
The second installment of the Opportunity Forum’s 2016-17 Lunch Series, Hot Topics in Access to Opportunity, focuses on criminal history as a barrier to housing access. Nearly one in three U.S. adults holds a criminal record. Accessing safe and affordable housing is an urgent need for many of these individuals, but a criminal background presents immense barriers to securing housing in the Austin region. Join us on October 28th to learn about innovative work going on in New Orleans and elsewhere to reduce these barriers and to increase housing access for individuals with criminal histories. We will also learn about new federal fair housing guidance regarding landlords’ use of criminal records to screen tenants.
KEYNOTE:
Sara Pratt | Counsel
Relman, Dane & Colfax
Washington D.C.
PANELISTS:
Greg Casar | Council Member
Austin City Council
Fred Fuchs | Attorney & Housing Group Coordinator
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
David Mintz | Vice President of Government Affairs
Texas Apartment Association
Bruce Reilly | Deputy Director
Voice of the Experienced (VOTE)
New Orleans, LA
MODERATOR:
Helen Gaebler | Senior Research Attorney
William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law
The University of Texas at Austin
CO-SPONSORED BY:
The William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis
The Longhorn Center for Community Engagement
The Graduate Program in Community & Regional Planning
Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
October 6, 2016
Race, Democracy, and the 2016 Election
Wednesday, October 26
12:15pm – 1:45pm
Bass Lecture Hall
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
Light Refreshments will be served
The first installment of the Opportunity Forum 2016-2017 lunch series, Hot Topics in Access to Opportunity, kicks off this month with a panel discussion on Race, Democracy, and the 2016 Election, co-hosted with the Center for the Study of Race & Democracy at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
Join us on Wednesday, October 26 from 12:15 – 1:45 p.m. in the Bass Lecture Hall at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs for a panel discussion featuring academics and historians, including:
Edmund Gordon | Associate Professor and Chair
Department of African and African Diaspora Studies
Sherri Greenberg | Clinical Professor
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
Jeremi Suri | Chair
Leadership in Global Affairs
Mark Updegrove | Director
Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum
More information: The event is free but an RSVP is required. Light refreshments will be served.
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